Civil Love
by lavender44
Summary: Jasper Whitlock is a young civil war soldier, and Mary Alice Brandon is a Southern belle. What happens when they're paths cross? Both human.
1. Chapter 1

Mary Alice, or Alice, as she prefered, sat idly by her bedroom window, staring that the scene before her. It was a late 1864 summer afternoon, hazy and humid, and there was not much to do around the big plantation where she lived. She sighed and started counting the little dragonflies that zipped by her window. It was extremely childish, but there was not much else to do.

"Alice?" One of the plantation slaves came to her door. "Your mother wants to see you."

"Thank you, Sallie Mae. Tell her I'll be there shortly," she responded, and the woman gave a quick nod and was out her door. _I wonder what mother wants now,_ she thought. To say that the relationship between her mother and her was strained was an understatement. Her mother strived for perfection in every way, and seemed to achieve it in all matter except her only daughter. Everything about Mary Alice dissatisfied her. 'Your posture, Alice, watch your posture. My, if you keep this up you'll be hunchbacked in no time,' she criticized just the other day. _If she doesn't like who I am, then... I don't know what she's going to do. Because I'm not changing, for her, or for anyone, _she determined. She decided to take a quick look at her reflection in the looking glass anyway. Her shoulder length hair had frizzed from the noonday humidity, and there were rims under her eyes from the hot, restless nights spent swatting at mosquitos. Her once baby-blue floor length dress was splatterred in mud when she had returned from her garden before breakfast. _Mother would not be happy,_ she remarked, discontented. _Might as well get it over with,_ and with that final thought, she headed towards the parlor to face her mother.

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"Mary Alice Brandon what on _earth_ have you done to yourself?" her mother exclaimed upon her entrance into the room.

"I apologize, mother, but you know the weather has been so hot and humid, and the nights so sticky-"

"I'm well aware, Mary Alice, I've been going through the exact same weather and yet look at me." She faced her mother's scowling face and saw the fact that although the weather was terrible, she looked flawless.

"But... you called me on such short notice that I wasn't able to get ready," she pointed out, feeling like her mother was treating her unjustly.

"Mary Alice, dear, you know that once you have your own household to take care of you'll be recieving guests on such short notice, and such unacceptable appearances is out of the question," her mother stated.

"Mama, you know that I don't have to think about that until much later. I'm only 15."

"I was 16 when I married your father. You should be thinking about it, and stop spending so much time outside. Look at your skin! As tan as those slaves!" she said, lamenting. Alice tensed. She didn't like when her mother refered to the servants as 'those slaves'. Everyone in the household knew that Alice was severly opposed to slavery. "Mama, you know I don't like that."

"Oh stop, Mary Alice. This is about you. We'll discuss your other nonsensical notions later," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"Anyway," Alice said, trying to take the focus off of her. "You called me here to..."

"Oh yes. Your father says we'll be quartering soldiers from here on out."

"Quartering _soldiers_? Why?" she asked, bewildered.

" Don't ask me. I don't want this as much as you do. It's all your father," she added, then sighed. They both had an awkward silence for a moment, Alice thinking about her father, general Isaac Brandon, and her mother thinking about what those disgusting soldiers might do to her precious dining room.

"Mary Alice, don't just stand there. Get into some proper dinner clothes before your father comes home with all those ragamuffins," she said, spitting out the last of the sentence.

"Of course," she said, quietly, and back headed upstairs to change.

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**Hope you like it! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to all wonderful reviewers!!! I'm pretty happy that this turned out pretty well! I'm not so happy with this chapter, though... I still hope you like it. :)**

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By the time the sun had set Alice had changed out of her dirty blue dress and into a new, pink one. _Mother better be okay with this one,_ she thought, sarcastically. She went back downstairs into the dining room and was surprised to see the usually empty table crowded with men of all ages, ranging from the twelve year old drummer boy to the older generals. She also realized that there was no longer any room for her. A small 'oh' escaped her lips when she saw that she no longer had a place at the table. A young man who happened to be sitting at her usual spot looked up after he heard Alice.

"Oh I'm sorry miss, would you like my spot instead?" he asked, very politely. Alice turned and saw the soldier who had just spoken to her. His warm, brown eyes shone with sincere concern as he rose up from his space.

"No, it's alright," she answered her. "I'll... find another place. Don't worry about it," she answered with a smile.

"Please, do sit down. I don't mind standing up. I don't want to make you stand," he answered back, pulling the chair out.

"Well... thank you, then," she said, sitting down. The soldier then went and leaned against the wall as inconspicuously as he could. Just then Alice's father entered the room. "Boys!" he declared in his large, booming voice.

"Yes sir!" The soldiers simultaneously stood up and answered.

"I expect your best behavior in my house. My wife and daughter have done well in preparing this place well for you."

"Sir, yes sir!" They replied again.

"Now let's sit and enjoy our meal," he said, eyeing the food the slave had brought out. He began to sit, and then his eyes wandered over to the place where the soldier stood. "Jasper Whitlock!"

"Sir, yes sir!" the soldier answered.

"Why aren't you sitting down?" he asked him.

"I gave up my seat for the lady, sir," he answered, indicating Alice. The men around the room started snickering at Jasper's manners.

"Quiet! Mary Alice, did you thank this kind young man?" his father asked, directing his attention to her.

"Yes, Papa, I did," she assured him.

"Men, I hope you act like Jasper around my daughter as well. She is to be treated with upmost respect!" he demanded.

"Yes sir!" They replied just as heartily.

"Now let's eat," he said, already digging in.

Throughout the meal Alice couldn't keep her attention off of the soldier who was now standing. He'd graciously taken his place against the wall and never complained. His once grey soldier's uniform was splattered in mud from the day-to-day practices in the fields, and his blonde-tinged brown hair was toussled. He looked up once, and Alice immediately looked away, slightly embarrassed to have him catch her looking at him.

"Excuse me," someone said, interrupting Alice's train of thought. She looked up and saw one of the older men, an stout officer with slightly graying hair. "Mary Alice Brandon, I presume?" he asked her.

"You assume correctly," she answered, politely. "And you are..."

"Officer Williams. Please to meet you, my lady," he said, in a proud voice. He took her hand and kissed it.

"Umm... pleased to meet you as well," Alice stuttered, a bit flustered.

"How do you like our regiment? A group of fine young men, dare I say?" he asked in the same proud tone.

"Yes, very polite as well," she added.

"You must be refering to Soldier Whitlock," he said, his tone changing.

"He is one of them," she admitted, and wondered about the sudden change in his voice.

"He's a charming young man, I must admit." The older officer shifted his position on the chair. "Sorry. It's a bit uncomfortable for me to sit in one position for so long."

"I understand," she said, her attention returning back to the place where Jasper stood. She was surprised to see that he had left. He also noticed some of the other young soldiers come out of the parlor with bottles of whisky.

"Jasper usually leaves when the fun starts," Officer Williams commented, noticing where Alice's attention now was.

"Oh... sorry, I didn't mean to place my attention elsewhere, it's just that..." she trailed off, clearly upset that she let her mind wander.

"Don't worry about it. I should leave you to your dinner, anyway," he responded, getting up.

"Alright then. Good bye," she called after him, and returned to her dinner.

Because Alice spent most of her time either talking or observing the men at the table her food had gotten cold and much less appealing. She left her plate and got up from her table to speak with her mother, who, at the moment, was busy arguing with her father about something. "Mama," Alice began, "I think I'll be heading out for my walk now."

Her mother stopped speaking with her father and turned to Alice. "Alright. Don't stay too long."

"I won't," she assured her mother, and went outside.

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**Jasper finally made his appearance. ;) **

**Don't forget! Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 is finally here. I hope you like it. :)**

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The night air had grown considerably cooler compared to the other nights. Unfortunately Alice had left her shawl in her room, thinking that the weather would be hot and sticky like previous nights. _Oh well,_ she thought to herself. _It really isn't that cold_. She began her walk, walked past her mother's garden and the stable and ended at a small opening she called her 'private wood'. The secluded clearing in an isolated part in the forest was covered with undergrowth. Ivy spiraled up the tree trunks that surrounded it and wild flowers popped up in odd places througout the clearing. Ever since discovering her little wood when she was nine, Alice used this place to escape from daily life and simply be with herself and her journal. No one knew about her private wood but her.

As she neared the clearing Alice was surprised to see another form wandering aimlessly through the wood. _Who on earth... _she wondered. Everyone was at the house... except...

"Hello there," the voice called out. It was none other than the soldier, Jasper Whitlock. "I hope I'm not interrupting your walk," he said, turning to Alice.

"Oh no, not at all, I was just surprised," she told him. "How did you find this place? It's well off the regular path," she notified him.

"I wander around quite a bit, and I happened on this amazing clearing. It really is impressive," he told her, admiring the space. "Is it private? If it is, I'll leave, no problem at all," he said, already starting exiting the wood.

"No, it's fine," she answered.

"I should be heading back on the trail anyway," he insisted.

"Why did you leave the house in the first place?" Alice asked, curiousity getting the best of her.

"I'm not a man of whisky," he admitted. Alice was impressed. She knew every man to take to the bottle once in a while.

"It's not really like that... you see, I have a weak stomach, and occasionally one man will drink a bit too much, and..." Jasper trailed off, his face slightly green.

"But... you're a soldier! You can't be weak to your stomach!" she responded, surprised.

"It's strange, really. I don't mind blood at all. It's mostly vomiting that I can't stand," he answered sheepishly.

"I see," she said, intrigued. "But the sick men in your camp-"

"I stay away from the infirmary," he explained. "It's really not that hard to stay clean and healthy in the army."

The last statement seemed to end their conversation, and Alice found herself at a loss for words. There really wasn't much to talk about except for war, and she was sure that Jasper had enough of that. "I suppose I should thank you again for your kindness this evening. It would have been quite awkward walking around and trying to request a seat," she brought up.

"That's what I thought," he answered. "It really was no problem. You don't have to thank me anymore." He grinned. After another awkward silence Jasper spoke. "It's getting a bit late, and I think you should head back."

"Yes, I wouldn't want Mama or Papa to worry," she said, and started back to the house. After walking a few steps, she turned around to face Jasper again. "Aren't you coming?"

"I'll be outside for a bit longer, get some fresh air before I settle down for the night," he let her know. "Have a good night, Mary Alice."

"You can just call me Alice," she said, with a smile.

He smiled back. "Alice it is, then."

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Alice was woken abruptly by the sound of glass crashing and loud laughter. _What is going on down there? _she wondered. The laughter was followed by feet thumping and more laughter. _I'll go down there myself and give them a piece of my mind_, Alice determined, now clearly upset. She was extremely tired and very cranky from her lack of sleep. It appeared to only be two hours past midnight.

When she reached downstairs she found the parlor in complete shambles and the men gathered around the card table. She cleared her throat, and the noise suddenly died down. "Men, if you would please, there are people trying to sleep here," she tried, reasoning with them. The men simply stared at her with hazy eyes and began laughing again. _They're drunk_, Alice realized, horrifyingly. She knew what men could do when drunk...

"What's the miss doin' down here so late, enh?" one of the drunks called.

"Let her come and play games with us!" another offered. That statement lit up a whole chorus of cheers.

"Come 'ere, you," one of the soldiers grabbed her roughly and shoved her towards him. His alcohol stenched breath made Alice's stomach twist in revulsion.

"Let me go! What are you doing??" Alice cried, scared.

"Quiet her! We don't want General wakin' up and ruinin' the fun!" a soldier warned.

"Stop! Unhand me now!" she demanded, but it was no use. She knew her cries would go to waste because her parents slept in the room the farthest from the parlor, and even the noise they made wouldn't reach them. A dirty hand covered her mouth. The ring of soldiers that had formed around her suddenly started closing in and more grimy hands were trying to pull her skirt. Her night robe slid off her shoulders as she struggled to get free.

"Men!" an authoritative voice boomed. The soldier originally holding Alice immedialtely let go. Alice looked into the face of her temporary savior, Officer Williams.

"To your camps! Now!" The men instantly obeyed, filing out of the room nervously.

"Thank you so much, Officer Williams! I don't know what would have happened if you'd never came!" she cried, falling into his arms.

"There, there, I'll comfort you..." He hugged her back. Alice tried to break the hug after a while, but he held tightly. "What's the rush?" she heard him murmur close to her ear, and distinctly smelled alcohol on him too. _Oh no..._ she was now stuck with him, and he was a lot bigger than she was.

"Officer Williams... I must go... stop!" She attempted to free herself.

His hand, now on her back, pressed her closer. "Calm down, lovely one, be still now..."

"Officer Williams?" a voice from the hallway called. Officer Williams, suddenly startled, threw Alice away from him. He faced the young soldier who had interupted him. "Jasper! What are you doing down here so late?"

"I thought I heard the lady's cries... is she okay?" Jasper asked, now walking into the room.

"Yes, she is okay now, she was fearful because of nightmares, weren't you Alice?" Alice wanted to shake her head no, but Officer Williams shot her a look that scared her. "Yes, that's... that's true," she mumbled.

"I'll take the lady back to her room, if you don't mind." Jasper took Alice's arm. Alice, still frightened by the whole expirience, tried shrugging him off. "Trust me," Jasper whispered, and Alice immediately calmed.

"Thank you again Officer," Jasper repeated, and backed out of the room.

Once out of sight, Jasper let Alice go. "Are you alright? He didn't... hurt you, did he?" Alice couldn't respond and started shaking. "It's alright Alice, they're gone," he comforted her. "They won't come back."

"They could! Officer Williams knows where my private quarters are!" Alice's shaking became faster.

"Calm down, Alice. You're just tired. You just need to sleep..." Jasper's voice seemed to hypnotize her as she leaned on his shoulder and began to doze off. "Forget about it for now. You're tired..."

"Yes," she finally answered. "Very tired," she repeated. She tried to stay awake, knowing that falling asleep in another man's arms was dangerous and highly inappropriate. She realized that her attempts were failing as his voice carried on, lulling her to sleep. She eventually gave up trying to stay awake and fell asleep.

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**REVIEW! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4!**

**To reader13lovesbooks: (I hope you don't mind me replying to it on the story, but it's a question others may have)No, the rest of the Cullens and everyone else aren't here. I might be doing one with them, too, kinda like a series where I take the girls out of their time periods and put them with the guys to see what happens... if this turns out well. ****This is all Alice and Jasper. **

**Also, this chapter and the next one was uploaded at the same time becasue they were originally one chapter and then I split it up and extended the other one.**

**I haven't done a disclaimer in a while, but you should know that I don't own the characters except for soldiers.**

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The next morning Alice awoke to the sun pouring through her window. Memories of her previous night came rushing back to her mind. Although the weather was extremely warm Alice felt as if someone had opened a window and let in a draft. All too familiarly in her mind she could see the hazy eyes of the soldiers that closing in on her... her nightrobe being roughly shoved off her small body...

"Mary Alice?" Her mother's voice snapped her out of her reverie. "One of the soldiers told me that you were sick last night, and that you'd be sleeping in," she notified her.

_Jasper_, Alice thought, extremely grateful. Her mother didn't appreciate laziness. "I'm fine now, mama. It was probably just the night air from my walk last night," she answered her mother.

"Ugh, I knew that walk would do her no good..." she muttered under her breath. "Well, it's about time you get up," she said, her footsteps walking away from her door and her voice getting further. After a while she came back again. "I almost forgot- Catherine and Elizabeth are here," she reminded her.

Alice groaned. "Wonderful," she mumbled sarcastically under her breath. Out loud she simply said, "I'll be right down, mother." Her mother's footsteps were now on the staircase leading to the downstairs dining room, and Alice turned to her closet to see if there would be something decent to wear for her 'friends'. Catherine and Elizabeth were, in fact, once friends of a happier and younger Alice. But as time progressed Alice grew out of her childish fantasies, but unfortunately Catherine and Elizabeth never seemed to leave them behind. The older they got, the more flirtacious and extravagant they became. They were constantly found fanning themselves with pretty lace fans gossiping about the latest scandal or fashion crime and flirting with any boy that came their way. They found it strange the Alice didn't enjoy doing the same, and Alice found it strange that they enjoyed any of that nonsense in the first place.

Alice fortunately found a nice dress that she had recently bought from her trip to town. "This should do," she said, removing the dress from her closet. As she hurried out the door she caught a glance of herself in the mirror and did a double take. "Oh my... I look horrible!" Her eyes were lined with deep circles and her arms were covered in slight bruises where the rough men had shoved her. Her hair was all over the place. She clearly looked like she had just gotten out of bed. She grabbed a brush and was able to tame her wild hair, but the rims under her eyes and her light purple spots would just have to stay until she had more time to do something about them.

She walked by the game room before entering the parlor and caught sight of the soldiers. Jasper was off by himself again, leaning against the wall with a small book in hand. He looked up from his book and caught sight of Alice. He waved, acknowledging her presence, and returned to his book.

Alice couldn't help but feel slightly miffed about the fact that he didn't bother come over to say hello. _Silly me, _she thought reprimandingly. _Why should it bother me anyway? He's only a soldier. _She convinced herself enough to move on to the next room, where Catherine and Elizabeth were seated, anxiously waiting for their friend. Once the two blondes caught sight of Alice their faces lit up with delight.

"Mary Alice! What a wonderful surprise!" Elizabeth shrieked, rising from her chair.

"Indeed! We haven't seen you in ages, Mary!" Catherine, copying her elder sister rose and hugged Alice.

"It's been a while," Alice admitted.

"Now now now! Let's not waste time here! Let's go see those soldiers in action, shall we?" Catherine said, with a greedy gleam in her eyes.

"They aren't practicing. They're in the game room," Alice pointed out.

"Oh," Catherine answered, disappointed.

"They'll be practicing later. Your mother told me," Elizabeth said, excitement creeping into her voice.

Alice did all she could to try not to roll her eyes. "But for the time being we should-"

"Take a walk! The weather is delightful, isn't it Cathy?" Elizabeth interupted.

"I prefer the game room," Catherine said with a slight pout.

"Catherine, do stop your whining. Soldiers are boring when not in action. You'll get to see them all you want later," she assured her younger sister.

"Fine," Catherine answered. "Let's take a walk."

"Won't that be fun, Mary Alice?" When Alice didn't answer Elizabeth shook her head. "My goodness Mary Alice, lately you've been so boring!" Elizabeth complained.

"Life isn't full of sugar cookies and sweet tea, you know," Alice responded with a slight bitter tone in her voice.

"Calm down, Mary Alice! We're just pointing something out!" Catherine said defensively.

"I'm not upset," Alice assured them.

"You used to be so carefree! And so wonderful to have around with your amazing fashion sense!" Elizabeth pointed out, regretfully.

"And I'm not that fun to be around anymore, am I?" Alice countered, the bitterness in her voice becoming more evident.

"I... I don't mean that," Elizabeth answered, embarrassed. "I... Oh look, it's almost noon! Let's take our walk before it becomes too hot," she pointed out, trying to change subjects.

"Let's," Catherine answered, picking up her parasol.

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Their walk through the woods near Alice's plantation was full of talk, talk, talk, done mostly by the two sisters. Alice could barely keep track of their conversations, and just gave up trying. Instead she enjoyed the lovely weather outside.

"Mary Alice! Did you hear a word I just said??" Elizabeth asked, impatient.

"Hm? I'm sorry, I'm afraid I didn't catch that," Alice said with slight amusement.

Elizabeth sighed, clearly exasperated. "I'm trying to let you know what you missed at the dance last Saturday, Alice!"

"Oh... I'm sorry, do you mind repeating all that?" Alice added, a sly smile gracing her lips.

"Mary Alice do be serious! She can't repeat all that!" Catherine cut in, defending her shocked sister.

"Well, if you've finished with that topic and there really isn't much else to talk about-" Alice started, but was rudely interupted by Catherine.

"-we should head back home now," Catherine finished, determined to see the soldiers.

"Alright, Catherine. You can be so annoying sometimes," Elizabeth told her sister.

"I really don't care right now, those soldiers are probably waiting for us young ladies to start crowding around them," Catherine added, her tone rising in excitement.

Alice was disgusted by her behavior but said nothing. "The soldiers are right this way," she said, leading the way out of the forest and into the field.

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**READ THE NEXT CHAPTER AND THEN REVIEW! This chapter by itself is really boring(in my opinion), but the next one isn't.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 2!**

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The field in which the soldiers practiced in wasn't really a field. It was more of a grazing area next to their stable, meant for the animals. The soldiers needed space to practice so the grazing area had been transformed into a bootcamp-like area for the men.

The men were currently observing a duel between two of the soldiers. There was a large, brawny man dueling a man of smaller stature, but was quick to use his wits to avert the blows coming from the larger one. Alice, Elizabeth, and Catherine were able to sneak a place between two of the soldiers watching the fight. They weren't able to see the two duelers as clearly, but they didn't want to move into the smelly sweaty mass of men surrounding the fight.

"I like the smaller one. He looks very appealing," Catherine said with a devilish grin.

"You can't even see his face, Catherine! Besides, I prefer the larger one. He looks strong," Elizabeth put in, her attention fully on the two men.

Alice could've gotten sick right then and there. _How terrible,_ she thought with disgust. She paid no attention to the mens' faces and paid more attention to the duel.

The duel intensified. The larger one was losing power, and the smaller one was losing his speed. _This will be a close one, _Alice thought with a shudder. She hoped no one would get hurt. Suddenly the smaller one ran to their side of the space where they were fighting, with the larger one on his heels. Alice got a clear look at his face. _Jasper?? Will he ever stop surprising me everywhere_? Jasper looked worn out and his face was scrunched up in pain. He could no longer fight, and dropped to the floor. He lifted his right hand, signaling a surrender, but the larger soldier never caught sight of it. Before Jasper could defend himself, the larger man punched him in the head, and a resounding crack sounded. Jasper's body went limp on the field.

"_JASPER!"_ Alice shrieked. She pushed past the bodies of soldiers and stopped right before him. She knelt and cradled his head in her arms. "Wake up! Jasper?? Jasper!"

"Oh my goodness!" Catherine had ran on the field as well, fear written all over her face. "Will he be okay?" she asked her.

"I don't know," Alice answered, worried.

"I'll go get a doctor," Catherine told her, and then ran off in the direction of the house. Some other soldiers had left to do the same, leaving Alice, a handful of soldiers, and a worried Elizabeth. Alice centered all her focus on getting Jasper back to conciousness.

"Jasper? Jasper, you need to wake up!" When he made no response, she began to panic. _What if he's... no, he isn't! _Alice tried convincing herself to think positive, but she grew more and more worried. What puzzled her even more was the fact that she was so afraid of the death of a soldier she'd only known for a day or two. But now wasn't the time to sort out emotions. She needed a doctor, and fast.

Catherine returned with a doctor after a very long thirty minutes of waiting. "Here he is," Catherine said, pointing to the spot where Alice and Jasper were laid.

"Catherine and I should probably take our leave now," Elizabeth said, walking up to Alice.

"Yes, it's probably best. Send my greetings to all at home," Alice told them.

"Bye, Alice. And for your sake, I do hope the soldier gets better," Catherine added, sympathetically.

Meanwhile, the doctor had tried to do a quick examination. "It's best to examine him inside," the doctor told them. "Can you get one of the men to lift him and take him to the house?"

"I should," Jasper's opponent spoke. The large man came forward. "I shouldn't even be here, shamefully hitting a man while he was down," he said, his head hanging low. He picked Jasper up gingerly, as if afraid to hurt him more than he already had done.

Alice felt for the man who had attacked Jasper. Although a very determined young woman, she often felt sympathy for others and never could stand another person feeling so down. She walked up to the soldier and said "Sir, what you did to Jasper was an accident. Don't blame yourself."

"A terrible accident, hitting a man while down... I never thought I could be so ashamed of myself," he answered, mostly mumbling to himself.

"Please, it would pain me to see you blaming yourself like that... don't. Jasper's strong, isn't he?" The answer to the question was not only meant to be an assurance for the man, but for herself as well.

"He is," the soldier said with a sigh. "Once he gets up, I will be forever indebted to him. I would do just about anything to make it up to him."

Alice was deeply touched by the intense devotion he felt to make it up to Jasper what he had accidentaly done. "I haven't known Jasper for long, but I can tell that he is a very forgiving person. Don't worry yourself," she said, trying to comfort him.

"Thank you, miss," he said, a bit relieved. "Beneath all that stubborness you show, there is a kind hearted spirit in there," the soldier added, surprising Alice. Alice said nothing in response to his remark. The truth was, he was right. Alice was not a bitter person, and was never meant to be. But as she grew, she was taught that when you are anything but strong, you are weak. Alice's carefree and happy personality was misinterpreted as naivete, and her mother set to work correcting it. _Like she does everything else_, Alice thought, bitterly.

A low moan drew Alice from her thoughts. "Jasper?" she said, looking at the limp man in the large soldier's arms.

"Where... am I?" she heard him garble.

"We're taking you to see a doctor, Jasper. You had a bad blow to the head," she explained.

"I didn't see your hand, Jasper, and I... I punched a lot harder than I should have!! I was so serious about this duel, and-"

"Stop," Jasper gasped out.

"I'm sorry," the soldier tried.

"It's... okay..." Jasper whispered, before he went limp again.

"What's happening?" Alice asked, worried. By the time she had asked the question they had reached the plantation. The doctor then took Jasper from the soldier and placed him in the visitor's room in the house.

"Concious lapses," the doctor concluded. "He suffered a slight concussion. He should be having these concious lapses for a few days and then they should stop," he explained.

"A few days?" Alice asked the doctor.

"Maybe a week," he calculated. Jasper began stirring again. "What's happening?" he asked again, confused.

"Hello, I'm the plantation doctor, and you've-" He was interupted by Alice's father's entrance into the room.

"What do I hear about a fallen soldier?" General Brandon asked, extremely irritated that a duel had cost him a soldier.

"They were dueling, Papa, and..." Alice trailed off, looking at the frightened soldier standing next to the door. What he had done was considered so dishonorable he could be suspended from the army for his accidental action.

"Who hurt Jasper? He's one of my best strategists! He can't be replaced!" her father boomed angrily.

"I fell, sir," Jasper managed to rasp out.

"You... fell?" her father asked, incredulously. "As in, tripped and fell?"

"Yes," was Jasper's reply.

"Unbelievable... you tripped." Alice's father was in pure disbelief. "No true soldier trips! A true soldier didn't die by tripping over his shoes! What an unhonorable way to fall!" Her father was upset. "I expect a lot better from you... now your stupid 'trip' has cost me your strategies for... how long?" he asked, his attention now upon the doctor.

"A week or so, sir. Determined by the weight of the impact, however, more like a month," he answered, intimidated by his outburst.

Alice's father swore. "Stupid mistakes are only done by stupid people, Jasper. Never make that mistake again. Next time you do, it could cost us the war."

"Yes, sir." Jasper answered, weakly.

"I need to go... do something that will get my mind off of this," he said, and angrily left the room.

The opponent who stood by the door had left as well, leaving the doctor, Alice, and Jasper.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a wounded pride," he added.

"You didn't have to," Alice told him.

"I know, but it was for the best. He's a great asset to the armymen with his strength," he answered.

"Miss, it's best if you leave and let him rest," the doctor told Alice.

"Oh, alright," she answered. "But I'll be back, Jasper, just to make sure you're okay," she said, before leaving.

"I'll be right here," he answered, and smiled.

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**Please let me know if you think I'm moving too fast... I'm getting that feeling. Or too slow... either or. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6! Hope you like it.**

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Instead of a week, it took a month for Jasper to recover from the head injury. During the whole month, Alice remained with Jasper to make sure he was getting along all right. At first, she simply did it as a means to show her gratefulness towards his rescue her the other night, but as the month progressed she found that she had begun to enjoy his company. He was very quiet, yet amusing, and everything he said seemed to have some sort of meaning. Along with keeping him company, Alice made sure he took the medicine the doctor had prescribed for him, helped him eat, and helped him around the place until he was well enough to walk.

Alice's mother, however, was strictly opposed to the idea of Alice becoming 'a maid' to the soldier, and felt that the slaves should be taking care of him. Alice argued that that daughter of an army general should also show respect and care to her father's men as well. Alice's argument seemed to pacify her mother, at least for the time being.

After one of their routine arguments, Alice went outside for a walk to calm down. _Mama can frusterate me so much sometimes! _she seethed, angry tears burning her eyes. This time, their argument had been centered around Alice's reluctance to get married. _I'm only 15 for goodness sake! _She felt like she was about to explode, and headed for her peaceful wood.

On her way there, she happened to find Jasper slowly making his way around the wood. Alice suddenly felt guilty, knowing that she was supposed to help him around. "I'm so sorry... I was talking with my mother, and-"

"It's okay," he said, cutting her off. "You don't need to be sorry." He paused for a bit, and looked hesitant before speaking again. "Would you give me the pleasure of your presence by joining me in my walk?" he finally asked, very formally.

_He sounds like he's trying to court me,_ Alice thought, blushing. "Okay," she answered.

"I just needed to talk to you," he added, holding out his hand. Alice took it, and they walked deeper into the forest. They walked together for a while just in silence, the only noise heard being made by their feet on the dry forest floor. Jasper then stopped abruptly, and turned to Alice.

"I need you to do something for me," he finally said, his eyes pleading. Alice grew slightly nervous, being in a secluded wood with a man who wanted her to do something for him. But another part of her trusted the young soldier, knowing somehow that he wouldn't hurt her.

"Answer me this," he began. "What are you really like?"

Alice was startled by his question. "What do you mean?"

"Well, this might sound strange, but..." he paused again, and then started. "I'm a very... observant person," he began slowly. "I'm able to almost read emotions."

Alice was surprised. "Read emotions? Like minds?"

Jasper laughed. "No, not minds, emotions. Like if someone came up to us right now, I would be able to pinpoint what they are feeling," he tried to explain.

"How?" Alice asked, interested.

"By a lot of things. Their facial expression, their posture, their rate of breathing, their muscle tension, and their eyes. The eyes are the key," he told her.

Alice waited for him to continue. "And..." she said, prompting him.

"Well, when I came here, I saw that as for you... your emotions were so easy to read they were almost real. Almost like I felt it too,"he said, his tone changing. "Do you remember the night I rescued you from the men?"

Alice shuddered. How could she not? "Yes," she answered, softly.

"Your fear that night was radiating from every part of you," he said, his eyes distant. "You felt so small... and those men so big... that I felt that I had to protect you."

"And you did," she said, just as soft as before.

"Yes. All this is only an explanation of why I asked my earlier question."

"What's all this have to do with how I really am?" she asked, confused.

"Usually, the way a person acts and feels is the way they are," he started again. "But as for you, there's something beneath what's at the surface. In your eyes there's something there that's not coming out. Almost as if you're trying to shove it down. A certain sadness," he told her, watching her reaction.

"And you want to know what I'm trying to shove back down. What's making me so sad," she finished for him.

Jasper nodded. "You intrigue me, Alice."

"Well, if you really must know, I used to be a happier person, as you saw in my eyes," she said. "But my parents didn't like who I was, so I got rid of it," she said, her bitterness evident in her tone. Tears started stinging her eyes.

"You aren't ready to talk about this," Jasper said, worried that he had made her cry.

Alice nodded. "I just want to go back home now," she asked quietly, wiping her tears.

"Then let's head back home. Don't worry about it." After a short silence, he added, "You know what? Forget about this. The whole thing. We'll just go home, and I'll leave you alone. I apologize for prying."

"That's okay, it's just a touchy subject," she answered, fearing that she had made him upset.

Jasper smiled and held out his hand. "Shall we?"

Alice took his hand. "Let's," she answered.

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**So Jasper can read emotions. Just not manipulate them. **

**REVIEW!!!!!!!! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Because I have such AMAZING reviewers, I've updated! **

**Sorry the chapters are so short. I've had to break them up before they seem like run on chapters. But I'll try to update as much as I can. Enjoy. :)**

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Because dinner wouldn't start for another half an hour, Alice had gone to her room to read to pass the time. Her mind, however, refused to stay focused on her book and she often caught herself thinking about other things. One thing that kept on popping up was her conversation with Jasper earlier on that day.

_How strange_, she couldn't help but think. She'd never heard of anyone that was capable of reading emotions so well. The thing that baffled her the most was the fact that her emotions in particular were the easiest for him to read.

_"Your emotions were so easy to read they were almost real. Almost like I felt it too," _she remembered him telling her. Yet however real those feelings were to him, he couldn't read one. The one that haunted her eyes.

Alice began to debate with herself whether to show him her real self or not. No one ever bothered to know before. _But he's different,_ she thought, surprising herself. No one ever bothered to listen. Only him. _But I don't even know if I'll be able to tell him. I... I just can't, _she said, giving up. But a part of her felt that with him it would be a lot easier. There was something... something she couldn't quite put a name to, that when she was around him she felt better, almost like her old self coming back to her. _I'll do it,_ she resolved. _He deserves to know, since he's basically sharing my feelings anyway,_ she thought cynically.

She heard a soft knock on her door. "Come in," she called to the person on the other side. Sallie Mae, the slave girl walked in. "Your Mamma wants you to meet her in her bedroom," she notified Alice.

_Her bedroom? _Alice's mother rarely spoke to her in her bedroom unless it was something private and important. "I'll be right there," she said, hurriedly putting on her shoes, which had been kicked off to the side after her walk. Sallie Mae only nodded and left the room.

Alice was out of her bedroom in no time. _Is it Papa? Or one of the soldiers? Or a relative? _Alice couldn't stop worrying about what had possibly been serious enough to have her meet her mother in her bedroom. She walked straight into her mother's room since her door was open, and cleared her throat to announce her presence.

"Ah, yes, Mary Alice, come in," her mother said. "Close the door behind you and sit down," she added, pointing to the chair across from her. Alice closed the door and took a seat. "Anything the matter?" she asked her mother, a bit concerned.

"Oh, nothing's the matter, Mary Alice," she answered, in a surprisngly light tone.

Alice was a bit confused. _What's going on? _Her mother fished out a letter from the pocket in her dress. "I recieved this letter the other day, and I thought I should let you know about it," she said, handing the letter to Alice.

Alice read the elegant handwriting that filled the small paper. _To Mr. and Mrs. Brandon, _it began.

_Let me first introduce myself. I am Duke Williams of Kingly County of London, Great Britain. I am the cousin of Officer Williams, to whom you are quartering. My eldest son, George Williams, heir to the Duke title is in need of a wife. No young lady in London has been deemed fit for him. Now, it has been brought to my attention that a young woman by the name of Mary Alice Brandon lives in your household. Refered to by my dear cousin it appears that she would make a fine young wife for my son. We also seem to be of the same class, although unfortunately you are a bit lower. But that is trivial compared to the matter at hand. _

_I do believe that from my cousin's descriptions, this young lady is perfect for him. But my wife and I desire to see her first. If you accept, I will make a visit to your lovely home on the thirteenth of July. I do hope you do not pass this chance for your daughter's entry into society._

_Regards,_

_Duke George Williams VI_

Alice was shocked. "Mama... I'd rather not," she said, shaken.

"Nonsense! It was never your choice! I sent the acceptance letter already." Alice's face grew from a pale white to a beet red. "You _what?_"

"Darling, it was such a wonderful way to enter society! London, Mary Alice! He's a duke! You'd be a dutchess," she countered, surprised by Alice's expression.

"Mama, you're marrying me off to a person I don't even know? And is almost twice my age?" she asked, still infuriated.

"Only nine years, Alice. And I thought you'd gotten rid of that childish stubbornness years ago. It's not nice," her mother reprimanded.

"This is ridiculous. Mama, you should mail those people and tell them they might as well not even come. I refuse to meet him," she said, crossing her arms and standing resolute.

"They're coming tomorrow," her mother notified her.

Alice nearly fainted. _Tomorrow? Impossible! _She racked her brain for the date. _Today is... July 12. _She gulped as she read the date listed on the letter. _Thirteenth of July..._

"I found such a wonderful dress for you for tomorrow! It has very large hoops. I hear large hoops are all the rage back in London," she gushed.

"How could you do this to me?" Alice cried.

"It's for your own good, I'm telling you, and absolutely necessary," her mother put in.

Alice stood there, infuriated. Her mother had no right to do this to her! She was a person, a person with emotions... not some emotionless doll...

"Be a good girl and try the dress on," her mother commanded her. "I need to make sure we need no more alterations."

Alice quietly and angrily took the dress and put it on, and it fit perfectly, much to her mother's delight. The dress was a frilly monster with abnormally large hoops. _This is all the rage? _she thought, hideously examining the monstrosity on her. Luckily for her she was able to get out of it quickly.

Alice dismissed herself from her mother's presence stiffly and left the room, smoldering. She simply decided to bite her lip and get the meeting over with. There was no way convincing her mother out of this deal. _I won't think about it. I won't let this drive me in a corner, _she decided. She blinked back angry tears and entered her room again. She picked up her book and tried to forget about the situation she would encounter tomorrow.

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**Poor Alice... :(**

**REVIEW! ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

**I updated again. I have amazing reviewers, that's all I can say! I hope you like this chapter. :)**

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Nearing dinner, Alice had succesfully dismissed the earlier events and had been thinking more about seeing Jasper and whether or not she would tell him. Upon entering the room, however, all thoughts concerning the topic vanished when he was no where to be found. _I wonder where he is,_ she wondered. A terrifying thought struck her. _He didn't leave, did he?_ She began to worry. She searched around the room frantically and gave up when she caught no sight of him. _Just when I hoped... _she thought, disappointed, and sat down at her place.

The meal went as usual, with the soldiers' hearty laughter at her father's jokes and her mother's sullen glares and silence aimed at the rough men's abuse of her finest dinnerware. _Not even the 'good news' changed that,_ she observed, sarcastically.

"Excuse me," a voice spoke. Alice looked up and saw Officer Williams gesture to the empty space by her. "Do you mind if I speak with you?"

The first emotion that flitted through Alice's mind was fear of the man who had initially attempted to take advantage of her. But her fear was replaced by an undettered anger that coursed through her very veins. This man was responsible for her 'marriage arrangement'. She only nodded, trying to compose herself.

"First of all," he began, "I should proceed to apologize for my... unreasonable behavior about a month ago. The whisky, you know," he said regretfully. "I do hope the marriage proposal made it up."

_So this is where the whole marriage proposal idea came from... _The compassionate side of Alice wanted to lie and just let him know that it was okay, but her angry side wanted to smack him and tell him she'd rather eat a bowlful of nails than marry that stupid relative of his. Instead of doing either, she simply answered with a nod.

"Your mother told me she was trying to keep it a surprise," he continued, "so I didn't mention it until now. I still don't why she waited so late..."

Alice guessed that he was probably looking for a thank you or something of the sort, and that was the reason he wouldn't leave. "Thank you," she finally said, and returned her attention back to the food.

"You know," he went on. "I think you'll like Georgie. He's a nice boy. Shy, though."

_Shy? _she thought, doubtful. _The 'heir of Duke George Williams VI of Kingsly County, London doesn't sound shy to me at all_.

"Well, then," he said after a moment's slience. "I'll leave you to your dinner." He stood up and walked off without waiting for a response and stopped halfway to his seat. He appeared to sigh, and turned back around and walked back to Alice. He handed Alice a folded white note. "I found this on the floor of the men's quarters adressed to you," he said, his voice detatched. "I'm pretty sure you know who it's from."

_Jasper. _The name brought a rush of excitement in Alice. "Thank you again," she told Officer Williams. He nodded, and then left her. Alice couldn't bring herself to open the note. The place seemed too busy and full, and to her the note seemed private. _Oh please, stop thinking such silly thoughts! What about this note could possibly be private? It isn't a love letter or anything. _Her last thought caused her to blush furiously, and she shook her head to clear her head. Although she tried convincing herself that the note was in no means private she dismissed herself from the dining room and went to her room to read it. Closing the door behind her and lighting her bedside lamp, she began to read.

_To Alice:_

_You might be wondering where I've run off to. Well, I'm currently in town with your father and other military men trying to figure out battle plans. The Yankees have taken some of our major cities, and we must strengthen our defenses. I just wrote this letter to assure you that I haven't left you for good. I'll be back in the morning._

_Your Friend,_

_Jasper Whitlock_

Alice was relieved and disappointed all at once. Relief, because Jasper wasn't gone, and disappointment because the letter didn't hold the contents she had hoped to read. She was also touched, however, by Jasper's compassion for her and her feelings. She knew that he knew that she now depended on him as her only companion.

She read and reread the note, and eventually folded it up and put it away in her diary. _In the morning... he'll be back,_ she assured herself.

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The next day came a lot quicker than Alice preferred. The weather outside seemed to match her personality perfectly: dull, gray, and muggy. She hurried out of her nightgown into her day dress and walked to her mother's room. She knocked on her door, and entered after her mother responded.

"Good, you came bright and early like I asked you to," her mother said, pleased.

"Yes, I know," Alice answered with much less enthusiasm. "I hope not to take much time here."

"Well, you're getting your hopes up for nothing. We need to put the dress on first, and then put powder and some color on your cheeks." she answered, and started ordering the slaves around.

"Mama this isn't a party! It's only a meeting. I don't need all that," Alice protested.

"This is your future right here! Your future in-laws, your future _husband_! Do you want him to see you as some woman who can't even take care of herself?" she demanded.

"Mama we don't know this for sure," she said, trying to prove her point. "They're only coming here to see me and make a decision."

"Mary Alice Brandon you listen to me _right now_." Her mother's sudden change from excitement to rage scared her. "You will not, I repeat, _will not_ do anything foolish enough to send those people back home without you. If you do, you will spend the rest of your life as an _old maid_."

The words 'Old Maid' was enough to silence Alice. No one, not even headstrong Alice, wanted to even think of those two words. To never marry and never have children was a terrible fate for a woman.

"I see you understand my point," her mother responded, noticing Alice's sudden silence. "Now get the dress on." Alice obediently took the disaster of a dress and put it on.

"Alice, darling, if only you could see yourself. With the powder, you'll look like an angel!" her mother gushed.

Alice believed that her mother was overexaggerating quite a bit, but when they finished with her face and she got a look at herself in the looking glass she was surprised herself. _Wow... I look good, _she thought. She twirled her dress around. _The dress doesn't even seem as bad, _she noticed.

Alice was still in the mirror admiring herself when the slave came upstairs. "They've arrived, ma'am," he simply said.

"Oh good. Perfect timing. Alice, let's go," her mother said, gathering her own skirts to head down the stairs.

_Here we go, _Alice thought as they left the room. _Let's hope I do this right._

_

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**I decided to leave you hanging!! You'll see the meeting in the next chapter. ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

As Alice walked through the hallway that would bring her to the room where the Williams family were currently waiting, she felt extremely nervous. She knew that she really shouldn't be, but it was her mother that was agitating her with her wrist-wringing and constant mumbling. Alice tried taking a deep breath to calm herself, and it helped a little bit. Her mother, however, was remained constantly on edge.

"Alice, remember, smile politely, but not big smiles. They make you look gawky. And make sure your dress doesn't get creased. Straighten it from time to time," her mother rambled. Alice only nodded, too nervous to speak herself.

"Good. Remember, Alice, this could be your future right here," her mother reminded her, and went back to wringing her wrists.

Right before reaching the parlor they had to pass by the card room where all the men had filed in for their noonday games. Jasper was, once again, off in the corner with the same book, and looked up when Alice passed. When he caught sight of her he raised one eyebrow. He, smiled, gave a nod of approval, and then returned to reading.

Alice was pleased to see that Jasper noticed that she looked better today. It suddenly occured to her that he had no idea what she was about to do. _I wonder how he'll react, _she thought, curiously.

Her mother's voice jolted her out of her thoughts. "Mary Alice... we're here."

In the room her father was sitting in the big armchair by the fireplace, and the other two places usually occupied by Alice and her mother contained an older, graying man and a much younger lady with long, brown hair. A third young man, with with very handsome features and short brown hair stood there with a calculated look and a very bored expression.

All four heads simultaneously turned when Alice and her mother entered the room. Her father looked pleased, and the man in the chair smiled politely. The lady, however, had a stern look on her face as she immediately began to scrutinize Alice. The young man's expression suddenly changed from boredom to immense interest when he caught sight of Alice.

"Ah, finally. Mary Alice, Rebecca, may I introduce you two to Duke George Williams VI, his wife Dutchess Anne Stetson Williams, and their son, heir to the title George Williams VII," her father introduced, formally.

"Hello," Alice greeted pleasantly, and did a small curtsy. Her mother did the same.

"Hello, Mary Alice," the duke said, rising to shake her hand. The young man followed close behind. When the duke had shaken her hand his son took Alice's hand. "My pleasure meeting you, my lady," he said, and kissed her hand a bit longer than necessary.

Alice blushed at him. _Quite the gentleman, _she thought, pleased. But a certain look in his eyes alarmed her, an almost overeagerness in his smiling eyes that weren't as friendly as they seemed.

"Mary Alice, I must say, I can already see you are a charming young woman already," the duke stated. He turned to his son. "Isn't she, Georgie?"

'Georgie' smiled and looked at Alice. "Beautiful as well," he added, a dazzling smile lighting up his face.

"A bit too short for my liking, however," his mother commented, disdainfully. Alice immediately scowled, but recieved a sharp jab from her mother's elbow as a reminder to keep smiling.

"But elegant," the duke rushed, trying to make up for his wife's statement.

"What is your full name, Mary Alice?" the dutchess asked her.

"Well... it's only Mary Alice Brandon," Alice answered, a bit intimidated.

"Nothing else? What about your mother's family name? Don't you include that?" she demanded.

"Well, my maiden name was Kerrins, but we don't include the mother's name in our childrens' names here," Alice's mother explained, worried that Alice's answer had displeased the lady.

"Kerrins? The last time I heard there was never a 'Kerrins' in the place of society," the dutchess spat out, sending an upset looking glance at her husband. Alice's smile got tighter. _That woman has just about reached the end of my patience,_ she seethed.

"Anne..." his husband warned her. She glowered at him and turned away.

The duke laughed nervously. "Let's talk about something else, shall we?" he said, eager to change the subject. "It appears to me that Alice will do fine for my son, like I've said before. My cousin told me that Alice is a well-learned young woman. Isn't that so?" he inquired.

"Oh yes!" Her mother was quick to answer. "She had a private tutor as a child, teaching her only the best!"

"How many languages do you know, Mary Alice?" the dutchess inquired.

"Only english, ma'am," Alice answered, ashamed. With the way the dutchess asked her the question she felt as if she should know a lot more than just plain english.

The dutchess looked disgusted, but the duke remained unfazed. "One does not need to know five different languages to enter society," he said, directing the comment more at his wife. "Don't worry about it, Mary Alice."

Her mother tried to please the dutchess. "Mary Alice would make a wonderful wife, though. She knows how to sew, clean, entertain guests, and such," she went on.

"That's what slaves are for, madam," the dutchess answered, spitefully. "But she does seem to have a quality that would do fine for entertaining guests," she admitted.

"Well, then, now that's been settled," the duke answered, getting uncomfortable. "I approve of Mary Alice. So does Anne," he said, ignoring the look he recieved from his wife by that last statement. "Georgie?"

Georgie looked at his father, and then back at Alice. "I would be honored to have her as my wife." He sent a dazzling smile to Alice that almost made her heartbeat triple its normal speed.

General Brandon nodded in agreement, and Alice's mother looked pleased. Alice felt that the whole thing had been a litte rushed. But she remembered that she had no say in this from the beginning, so she kept her thoughts to herself.

"Now, if you would please-" the duke started, but was interrupted by a knock on the room wall. Alice turned and saw Jasper looking straight at both her and Georgie, who still had her hand in his, with a blank look that startled her.

"Pardon the interuption, sir," Jasper began, emotionless. "The men and officer need you now. They're calling for a meeting," he alerted his general.

"Is my cousin Officer Williams among them?" the duke asked Jasper, curiously.

"Yes. He's our leading general," he answered, his tone unchanging.

"Well, then, General Brandon, if you don't mind I would like to accompany you to greet him. I haven't seen him since I arrived," he answered, getting up.

"Surely," her father answered. "Right this way.

"Anne, Georgie, you can proceed to the carriage that should take us to out temporary lodging," the duke notified them before following Alice's father out of the room.

The dutchess rose from her seat and left the room with her nose high in the air. "Let's go, George," she said, motioning to her son. Georgie, however, lingered and walked up to Alice. He took a strand of her hair and twirled it around playfully. "I hope to get to see you soon, Mary Alice. I really like you," he said as his eyes filled with the same eagerness. Alice smiled but tried to pull her hair back feeling uncomfortable that Jasper was watching the whole scene.

"I'm sure I'll be seeing you often. Good bye," she said, dissmissing him. George kissed her hand one last time and then left the room.

"Mary Alice, you've done it!" her mother gushed, pulling her daughter in for a hug. "My daughter's to be a dutchess," her mother sighed, dreamily, and left the room to make preparations.

The room now composed only of Alice and Jasper. Alice shifted around, uncomfortably. Jasper's face seemed just as blank as before. Alice was bothered by his expression. "Jasper... what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong," he answered, his voice still lacking emotion.

"You don't seem yourself, Jasper..." Alice added, begging for some reaction.

"I'm the same as I was the days before. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should attend the soldier's meeting." He turned to leave the room.

"Jasper no!" Alice cried. She didn't know why his actions were irritating her this way. "Jasper, please, will you walk with me after your meeting?" she tried one last time.

Jasper seemed to consider his answer. "I'll try." With that, he turned and left the room abruptly, leaving a confused and desperate Alice behind.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks so much to my wonderful reviewers and for pointing out my little typos. **

**I have a feeling you'll like this chapter...**

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Thirty full minutes had gone by, and Alice was anxiously waiting outside of the game room for the meeting to be over. Alice needed to explain the whole thing to Jasper, afraid that he'd taken it the wrong way. _Oh bother this stupid meeting!_ she thought, exasperated. She started pacing the hallway and was relieved when the talking inside the room grew louder, signalling that the meeting had ended. The door opened and they all stepped out one by one, politely raising their hands to Alice. Had Alice been in a better mood she would have waved back, but she was too busy waiting for Jasper.

Jasper finally stepped out of the room, and once Alice saw him she grabbed him. "Come walk with me now."

Jasper's face remained as blank as it was before. "Ok then," he answered her, and they walked out the front door into the woods again. The first part of their walk was silent. Alice didn't know how to bring the issue up, and Jasper was just quiet, waiting for her to say something.

Alice stopped, and took a deep breath. "It isn't what you think at all. Officer Williams sent his cousin a letter all about me and I guess they now want me for their son because they came to see how I looked and they were pleased with me," she rushed all in one breath, trying to get it over with.

"Sit," Jasper commanded, motioning to one of the forest benches. Alice nodded nervously, afraid that he'd become angry.

Jasper looked at her for a moment before he spoke again. "_You_ were pleased."

Alice looked down, shamefully. "He was... very handsome, and was also very sweet to me," she admitted. "He complimented me."

Jasper's face went from blank to angry. "Is that all you need to assure yourself that he loves you?" he asked her, bitterly.

Alice said nothing. She continued to stare at the ground.

"I thought you were deeper than that, Alice," Jasper finally said, extremely disappointed.

"I am, I really am, it's just that in this case I have no choice, so I made the best of it," she said, trying to defend herself.

"Alice, I rarely do this because I believe that a person's emotions are meant to be private," he began, and continued. "I'm going to tell you what he was feeling."

Alice listened intently as he explained. "He... well, let's just put it this way. He looked at you like you were food. Very tantalizing, delicious food," he spat out, angrily.

Alice shuddered. _So that was the look in his eyes- lust,_ she thought, remembering the unexplainable look he had on his face. "I... I thought something was strange but I didn't notice..."

"Well, now you know. Now you know why I'm so upset, too," he told her, enraged. "You're more than that. Way more than that."

Alice finally gathered the courage to look up at him, but instead of seeing an angry expression on his face she saw that his face shone with compassion. "I know that..."

"No." Jasper told her. "You're more than that to me. Not to anyone else, but to me," he explained.

Jasper's sudden confession brought flutters to Alice's stomach. "I am?"

"Yes, Alice. A lot more than you know..." he said, taking her hand in his.

Alice blushed and looked down again, this time out of embarrassment instead of shame. "I... I don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything." And with that, he tilted her chin up and kissed her.

Everything in the background seemed to fade for Alice in that one moment. Even the sounds of the forest seemed to pause for during that instant. The flutters in her stomach had increased, and Alice felt like she was flying.

Alice sighed quietly when he broke the kiss. "Why?" she whispered.

"Why do I care for you so much?" he asked her. "Or why did I break the kiss?" he asked again, amused.

"Both," she said, entirely serious.

"Well, I broke it off because it's improper for a young man to kiss an unmarried lady in the first place," he answered her. "As for me caring... it's just you, Alice. I love you."

Alice stood there quietly, a million different thoughts going through her head, most of them centered around Jasper, her recent engagement, and her own feelings. The thoughts swirling in her head were almost dizzying. But the thought of his warm, sincere eyes and the way he gently took her hand in his stood above all the others, and then she knew that she loved him too. She sighed at the thought and simply laid her head on his shoulder.

"I'm guessing the feeling is returned, then?" he asked, his voice hopeful.

"You've guessed correctly." she answered him, smiling.

He smiled, planted a quick kiss on her forehead, and put his arms around her. The late afternoon sun was warm against their backs as they remained in the same position for a while. Neither of them seemed to be keeping track of the time. Alice didn't mind at all. She felt something she hadn't felt in years. She felt truly happy, not the kind of happy that tended to dissolve in a matter of minutes, but a happy that would last anything. She wished she could just stay there forever, feeling this kind of happy always.

"Alice..." Jasper said, letting go of her and gently nudging her after a while. "The sun is setting." Alice looked up and saw that the sunset had spread different hues of red, pink, and purple across the sky. "It's beautiful," she murmured softly.

"Dinner," he quietly reminded her. "We need to go now." He saw her crestfallen expression. "We'll have other walks, I promise," he assured her, helping her up.

"Not like this one," she answered, still upset.

"I promise, one more just like this one," he answered, taking her hand.

Alice smiled again. "I trust you." Her hand in his, they headed back to the house.

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**Well... review. And if I had any more tiny typos, let me know! :)**


	11. AN

**Big A/N:**

**As you probably noticed, I haven't been updating my story as much. That's mainly because my schedule got A LOT busier, and because I need to prewrite more chapters. So this fanfic is not necesarily on hold but it's going on a small break. I'm really sorry I couldn't update sooner.**

**Hope you'll bear with me and wait until I can update again!!!**

**~lavender44  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**Just letting you know that I haven't died or anything. I've actually got about a few chapters pre-written (about 10), so... yeah. You'll be seeing more.**

**Hope you enjoy this one!**

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Right before reaching the house, they parted ways. "We don't want to raise any suspicion," he warned right before he left.

"I understand," she said reluctantly. "But remember- you promised."

Jasper smiled, causing the butterflies in her stomach to erupt in flutters again. She smiled back and turned around to go back to the house.

At the dinner table, most of the soldiers, along with her family and the duke's (who had come to spend dinnertime with them) were already seated. Taking the available seat next to the duke's son, she looked around to see if anyone noticed her late entry. Her mother was too busy trying to start a conversation with the duchess who, with her nose high in the air, was ignoring everything her mother said. Her father was laughing along with the soldiers' crude jokes, and the duke was engaged in a conversation with is cousin, Officer Williams. George, however, was not doing anything specific. For a while he only sat there playing with his napkin. Then, after a while, he stopped, and turned to face Alice. "What took you so long?" he asked her, nonchalantly.

"Oh… I was taking a walk, you see, and-"

"For that long?" he cut in.

"What do you mean?" she asked confused. "I didn't go out until a few minutes ago."

His eyes flashed with anger. "Don't play stupid with me, Mary Alice," he growled. "I saw you walk off with your little soldier boy over there."

Alice's cheeks flushed a slight pink. "We're only good friends," she lied.

"Well that blush on your cheek is telling me otherwise," he countered. "You can't say anything to prove your innocence, I saw you."

Alice wondered if he'd seen _everything_, but was afraid to ask and arouse more suspicion. She snuck a look at Jasper, who was seated at the other side of the table, just to see his reaction, and George caught it. "Trying to steal another look at him, eh?" he sneered. Underneath the table he grabbed both of Alice's hands to gain her full attention. "Well guess what? You're mine. You'll never be anyone else's but mine," he said, frightening Alice with the fire that raged in his eyes. He leaned in so that his mouth was right next to her ear. "All… mine."

Alice gulped, and satisfied that he had accomplished his task, George let go of her hands and leaned back into his place.

Alice nervously scanned the room to see if anyone else took notice of what had happened, but everyone seemed to be engrossed in their own activity. She also noticed, when examining Jasper's side of the table that his food remained untouched and one of his hands was under the table. The other was on top, clenched in a tight fist. He made no eye-contact with Alice, but she still knew he had witnessed the scene.

Alice began to panic, and eventually her panic had reached a level to where her breaths started getting faster. The room began to spin, and she clutched to the back of her chair to steady herself.

George took note of that, and turned to her. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked, concerned.

She tried to nod, but the movement of her head caused the room to spin faster.

"Don't move," he said, and went to Alice's father. She obeyed, and didn't move from her spot until her father came over. "Alice, what's the matter?"

"I don't know, father," she answered. The dizzy spell had lessened, but it hadn't passed.

"I think it'll be best for you to head upstairs now," he said, lifting Alice up.

"I think so too," she answered, and leaned against him. They both made their way upstairs, with George following them. When they reached her room her father helped her into the bed. "Feeling any better?"

"A little," she told him. "But I'll be okay."

"I know. I don't think you'll be back down after this, so I'll wish you goodnight now."

"Goodnight father," she answered, and turned to go to sleep. The door shut behind her father, and then she was alone.

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**Kinda short, but they should get a bit longer, and the chapters should get better too. :)**


	13. Chapter 13

****

I love your reviews! They brighten up my day and they're actually what keeps this story going! So keep it up!

**This is a long one!! I hope you like it.**

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The next day Alice felt a bit better than she did the previous night. _It must have been a panic attack, _she concluded, and started to plan her day. The weather looked good enough for a walk. _Perhaps I might-_

"Mary Alice! Where were you last night?" Her mother came running into the room. "You looked pale at dinner yesterday, and then I saw your father carrying you up to the room. Anything the matter?"

"I was just dizzy. But I'm better now," she assured her.

"That's good, because we can't have you in bed the only time your fiancé gets to see you," she said.

Alice felt upset that the only reason her mother cared to find out why she wasn't feeling well was because she wanted her to spend time with the duke's son. She remained silent, though.

"Do you have any plans today, Mary Alice?" her mother asked, offhandedly.

"Actually, I was going to make plans, but-"

"Good, because the duchess wants to speak with you today."

Alice gasped. "She wants to speak with me?"

"Yes," her mother said, grinning.

"But... she doesn't like me much," she said.

Her mother ignored the statement and went to Alice's closet. "Now let's find something nice enough to wear for this occasion," she said, going through her things.

"Won't a regular dress do?" Alice asked her.

"Of course not! This is your future mother-in-law!" She grabbed a green dress. "How about this?"

_It's hideous, _she thought, but she'd do just about anything to get her mother to leave her alone. "It's nice."

"Good. Change now." Her mother demanded.

"Now?" Alice asked. "But-"

"She's waiting for you in the parlor. You've no time to waste," She hastily motioned one of the slaves in the room. "Get her face done, and have her down in five minutes," she instructed.

The slave nodded obediently, and began to help Alice out of her nightclothes. _So much for my plans today, _Alice thought, sadly.

* * *

Instead of five minutes it took Alice ten minutes to prepare herself to meet with the duchess. She went down to the parlor and stopped by the doorway. Her mother's eyes lit up when she saw Alice. "There she is," she said, cheerfully.

The duchess nodded and waved Alice over. "Come, Mary Alice. We're going to take a walk."

"Okay," Alice answered, following her out of the door.

Not long after they left, the duchess began to speak to Alice. "Before you marry my son, there is something I'd like to know," she said in her British accent.

"I understand," Alice said, curiously wondering what she wanted to know.

"First of all, I'd like to know your feelings for my son."

Alice stopped. _What can I tell you? That by marrying me your son is ruining my life? _

"I'm waiting," the duchess said, impatiently.

"I... well, I find him very handsome," she started. "And... nice," she finished, not knowing what else to say.

"Do you love him?" the duchess asked.

"Well... not right now. But I could over time," she rushed, hoping it didn't sound as bad as it seemed.

"That isn't needed. You see, Mary Alice, I believe love is nothing but a figment of our imagination."

"Pardon?" Alice asked, making sure she heard right.

"You heard me correctly. Love is merely an emotion humans feel towards others of the opposite gender. It's unnecessary."

Alice was confused. _Why is she telling me this?_

"The point is, Alice," she began, almost as if she'd read her mind. "I need you to be involved with my son as little as possible. Romantically, I mean. Now, my husband thinks otherwise, but this is coming from me."

"May I ask why?"

"When you fall in love with men, things get complicated," she explained. "Especially if we're talking about my son."

Alice was even more confused than before. "I'm not sure I understand."

The duchess sighed, and then looked at Alice. "Mary Alice, you're a good girl. You remind me of someone I used to know," she said, and surprised Alice with her soft expression. "Girls like you get hurt by men like my husband. And my son is no better than his father."

"I still don't understand," she said, extremely perplexed.

"I knew you were too vulnerable for my son. Too naïve," the duchess commented with a sigh. "My son does not love you. He merely lusts after you."

"I know that," Alice said, slightly surprising the duchess.

"Then perhaps you know a lot more than I thought," she said approvingly, and nodded. "But what you don't know is that my son is involved with a lot more women back home, if you know what I mean. He needed a good woman to help him settle down. It's just that none of them were good enough to marry him."

_Oh... _"Then how did I come up?"

"My husband wrote to his cousin asking if he knew any acceptable women here in America good enough for George," she explained. "His cousin referred you to him, and, desperate to marry off my son to continue the family line, he came running here to get George engaged to you."

"So... that's why you needed to talk to me?"

"Yes. I didn't want you marrying my son with fanciful notions of love just to have your heart broken. Broken hearts cause depression, and depression causes infertility. I can't have a barren woman marrying my son."

"You're still suggesting I marry him?"

"Of course! You're the only hope we have of continuing this line."

Alice felt it was a bit unfair, but she was old enough to realize that life was never fair. "So that is my purpose?"

"Yes. As a wife you've only one thing to do- to bear sons. That's all that matters."

"I see," Alice said, sadly.

"And, I must add, just because my son is involved in others does not mean _you _must be," she commented, her old hostility returning to her.

Alice wondered what that had to do with their previous discussion, and waited for her to continue.

"It's been brought to my attention that you've been sneaking off with a soldier," she said accusingly.

The way she put it made Alice's face burn with shame. "It's not like that at all," she stuttered.

"Whatever it may be, it's not acceptable," she said, sternly. "So I've already been to your parents."

"My parents??" she asked, incredulously.

"Yes. They've assured us that you are no longer to be in contact with any of the soldiers. You'll be under their constant watch. You are to associate yourself with the soldiers no longer. You can't sit next to any of them, you can't talk to any of them, and I don't even think you should be in the same room as any of them. When they're out training, you'll stay inside until they've finished. Even if only one of them leaves the house you are to remain inside."

Alice's eyes widened. "I'll be treated like a prisoner?"

"If you think of it that way, then yes, you'll be treated similarly to a delinquent."

"But... that's unfair!"

"It wouldn't seem unfair to you if you weren't seeing any of them," she said, in the same accusing tone.

When Alice didn't reply, she continued. "That is all for now. Thank you for accompanying me on my walk." The duchess turned around and went walked back to the house without Alice.

* * *

Alice returned to the house a few moments after the duchess had. Luckily, no one crossed paths with her as she stormed to her room. Once she reached there she sat on her bed and simply fumed over the unfairness of it all. _Why must everything go wrong? I've finally found love, only to have him ripped away! Stupid duke and his family came at the wrong time.._. They were the reason why her life had gotten considerably worse, as if it hadn't already been bad enough before. As if to tie in with her thoughts, another dizzying spell came over Alice. She groaned and laid back to rest her head on the pillow, waiting for it to pass.

She lay to her side and then suddenly noticed the white piece of paper that stuck from the corner of her window. "What is that?" she wondered softly, and, feeling a bit better, got up slowly to retrieve it . _This wasn't here this morning, was it? _Curious, she opened the note and recognized the handwriting. She gasped in delight as she began to read it.

_Dear Alice,_

_I'm sure by now you've heard that you aren't allowed to be anywhere near the men anymore, including me. Your father already cleared that up with us. I know I shouldn't be doing this, but after what happened last night I just had to see if you were okay. _

_Write back a response and leave it by the fireplace in the parlor. I'll get it._

_With all my love,_

_Jasper_

She smiled excitedly as she tore a piece of out of her leather bound diary to write a reply.

_Jasper-_

_We'll simply correspond through letters. It's alright. As long as I can talk to you, I'm fine._

Not knowing what else to write, she looked out her window to see if she could remember anything. Her eyes wandered to the barn where their family used to keep their horses before they were used as packhorses for the war. An idea came to mind, and she wrote more.

_Meet me tonight at midnight by the barn in the field. Perhaps we can start seeing each other there._

_I don't know what else to write, so I'll close this letter for now._

_With much more love than you could ever imagine, _

_Alice_

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**Remember... reviews keep this story alive!!!**


	14. Chapter 14

***rises from the dead* Hello, there. I'm still alive, but things just happened so I had to take a tiny break. But I'm back!**

**I really gave you a treat this time and made this one pretty long for ya... hope you like!**

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The time came for the long awaited rendezvous, and Alice stared grimly at the thunderstorm that had swept in so suddenly after dinner. She tried to ignore the warning of the approaching clouds all afternoon, but the rain came anyway. Still, she clung to that one hope that the storm would pass before night fell, but it was no use. The rain was still falling just as hard, and the lightning and thunder still flashed and crackled outside. She was now debating whether she should even go. _What if he decides it's too bad to go out? I don't think it'd be very wise to stand out there in a thunderstorm waiting for someone who won't even come. _Alice found this reasonable, and leaned toward the option of not even going._ But then again... what if he's out there, and _I _don't show up?_

She sighed softly as she put on her bedroom robe and lit a candle on her bedside table. "I'm going to have to see for myself whether he's out there or not," she whispered. Taking the candle with her, she stole out of her room and into the dark hallways.

The small candle did little to light her way, so she had to be very careful, as well as extremely quiet, so that she wouldn't make any noise. She easily moved through the hallways and down the stairwell to the front corridor, but she thought it foolish to leave the house through the front door. Instead she tip-toed to the cellar and began to search for the opening that hadn't been used in years. She reached the little net door that led straight into the field and blew out the candle, shoving the stick into her pocket. The darkness settled in, frightening Alice a bit, but she continued anyway.

Huge drops of rain drenched Alice within seconds of exiting the cellar. A cold wind blew, giving Alice terrible shivers. Her teeth began to chatter uncontrollably, and she covered her mouth in an attempt to stop them. The shawl did little to protect her from the harsh weather, and she regretted coming out here in the first place. _It doesn't make much sense for me to go back in now, _she thought, ruefully. _I should finish what I've started._

She struggled against the wind to reach the small shed they'd arranged their meeting to take place at. Because it was nestled between two large trees, it got even darker. The blackness seemed to swallow everything, and Alice was barely able to make out things that were even right in front of her.

Suddenly the lightning flashed, and Alice caught a glimpse of someone standing a few feet away from her. "Jasper!" she called.

It was dark again, but she could hear footsteps running towards her. "Alice!" he replied.

"Jasper!" she screamed again.

"I'm coming, Alice! Hold on!" he said, sounding closer.

"I'm right he-"

She was cut off by strong arms that grabbed her. Startled, she attempted to wrestle out of his grip, but his arms kept her. "Shhh," he whispered, by her ear. "It's me."

She sighed with immense relief and clutched him. "You frightened me!"

"I know, I'm sorry," he whispered. "You're going to have to let me go if you want to get inside that shed, though."

Alice let go, and took his hand. "Hurry, please. It's cold out here."

He pulled her in the direction of the shed, his grip warm and steady. Once he reached it, he forcefully shoved the old wooden door open. "Get in," he ordered, and Alice ran into the dark shed. He got in as well, and closed the door behind him. The darkness engulfed the two of them, and she gulped nervously.

Jasper sensed her fear. "Don't worry, Alice. I'm right here." He came closer and put his hand on her cheek for assurance.

She put her hand on his, feeling calmer. "I know, but... I've never been too fond of the dark."

He removed his hand, and Alice gasped when the room suddenly became illuminated as if a gas lantern had been lit. Jasper now held a match in his hand, and grinned. "Surprise."

"How did you-"

"I carry matches around," he said, answering her unfinished question. "One never knows when they'll need it."

Alice laughed. "Always prepared, then. I like that."

"I'm glad you do," he said, quietly.

Alice took the time to look around the small, box-like structure. The shed was no bigger than her own bedroom, and it was crammed with gardening and farming tools for the slaves. Every space on the wall was filled with tools, excluding the small window space. "Not a very comfortable area, is it?" she noted.

Jasper pointed to an empty corner in the shed. "How about there?"

"That'll do," she said, walking over. She cleared away the cobwebs that had developed in the corner and managed to sit down. Patting the empty space by her, she said, "come sit by me."

"I need somewhere to put this match. Like a candle or something."

"Oh!" Alice reached into her pocket and retrieved the damp candle. "Surprise!"

He laughed. "Let's see if this works." He took the candle and held the small flame to the wick and waited. It took a while, but then the flame burst into life. "Perfect," he commented, and placed the candle on a broken ceramic tile. "Now we're set," he said, sitting by Alice.

She laid her head on his shoulder contently, and he shifted to put an arm around her. Resting comfortably in his embrace, she let out a content sigh.

A draft blew in from the window, and she shivered a bit. "Are you cold?" he asked, spreading his jacket over her.

She took it, and drew closer to Jasper. The warmth from both he and his jacket was enough to end her shivers."That's good enough. Thank you," she said, gratefully.

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the drumming of rain against the roof of the shed. "I like the sound of rain," she said absentmindedly.

"Oh really?" he asked.

"Yes. It's a lovely sound," she sighed. "Rhythmic and hypnotizing."

"Rhythm. I like things with rhythm," he added. "I am a soldier, after all. I'm used to the drummer boy's beats waking me up every morning and ordering me around."

Alice smiled contently and drew his jacket around her tighter, and breathed in deeply. Instead of sweat and dirt, a pleasant scent of pine cones arose. "You smell nice."

He laughed, his whole body shaking along with it. "And what might that scent be?"

She smelled the jacket again and thought for a while. "Like... the forest, I guess."

"I am an outdoors type of person," he admitted. He leaned in and buried his nose in her frizzy mass of hair. "You smell wonderful too."

"Like what?" she wanted to know.

"Like... flowers. Lilacs, to be exact."

Alice blushed, and moved closer to him, not necessarily wanting more heat. "I'm glad I smell that way."

"Better that than those women who walk around with too much perfume," he said, wrinkling his nose.

She giggled. "I'll never wear perfume again."

"Not that you shouldn't, but... just be kind to sensitive noses."

Alice smiled. "I will." She tweaked his nose like she did to little boys. "Especially this sensitive one."

Instead of tweaking hers, he bent down and kissed her nose. "I'm afraid I'll spoil this little button nose if I tweak it," he said, and she laughed.

"How considerate," she said, earning her another peck on the tip of her nose.

By now, the light in the shed had dimmed until there was almost none left. "I think it's time we get going, Alice," he said, gently prying her away.

Alice frowned. "Must we?"

"We must," he answered, and picked himself up. He helped Alice up as well.

"I wish we didn't have to," she said, pouting slightly.

"I know. I don't want to leave either." He put his hand to her face, brushing off a drop of water that had fallen on her cheek. "I don't ever want to leave you either." He kissed her forehead. "But we have to for a little bit now."

Alice sighed, but didn't move. "Before you leave you have to kiss me again."

"I just did," Jasper said, playing with her.

"You know what I mean!"

"Oh alright." He bent down and kissed her on the lips that time. Her heart raced as he closed in, and once he kissed her it had dulled to a slow hum.

He gently broke it off. "There we go. Wish granted."

She sighed softly. "That'll do."

"Are you ready to go?" he said, holding the what was left of the candle.

She nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so."

He blew out the candle and put it back on the ceramic plate. She took her hand and led her out of the shed, and towards her home.

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**Awwww... There's nothing better than some Jalice!**

**Now, I know, if any of you had been in there with Jasper things might have turned out a little... differently, but we must take into account that this is the 19th century (Jasper kissing Alice in a dark shed would have been SCANDALOUS back then), and Jasper's too polite and Alice's too innocent to think of anything else.**

**I haven't been updated much again, and the explanation is on my profile. I've been busy again, but I have been working on it, so if you check my profile regularly I'll have my progress. :)**

**That chapter was pretty long... the chapters might be getting longer from now on. ;)**


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